Cat insurance companies for older cats

Pet insurance for older cats

While the age of your cat will influence the price of your premium to an extent, it won't affect it quite as much as it would if you had an older dog. Sometimes, policies for older dogs can be several times as expensive as for a dog that is, for instance, one or two years old.

However, the premium you pay is still likely to increase as your cat gets older. This can be frustrating, but unfortunately, the likelihood of an insurer having to pay out for a claim does increase after the age of 2.

If you're buying pet insurance for a pet before it turns two, it's worth considering our Fixed For Life cover. It never increases in price so it's one way to make sure your premium stays the same when your cat is older.

There are some things to bear in mind when you buy older cat insurance. An important point to remember is that pet insurance policies generally don't pay out for older cats if they die because of illness or injury. (This is usually when they are over the age of 8 or 9, but it's worth checking your policy.)

Moreover, not many pet insurance companies offer a good level of dental cover. This becomes more important as a cat ages. Most will only cover your pet if its teeth are damaged in an accident.

You should also consider the excess or co-payment for older cats. When pets reach a certain age some insurers increase the excess or ask customers to pay a percentage of the claim. This is because older pets are more likely to develop medical conditions and the costs associated with them can be higher.

Co-payments range from around 10% to 20% of a claim.

Lifetime Pet Cover cat insurance for older cats

Lifetime (or ‘yearly limit’) insurance covers vet fees up to the stated limit every year. This can be a good option if you worry about your pet developing a long-term or recurring illness. So long as you renew a lifetime policy each year, the level of vet fees will reset to the full stated limits that you started with.

With a lifetime product, it is important to note that your premiums will increase each year at renewal. This is different to a “Per Condition” policy, where a particular condition can become excluded once the condition limit is reached.

Lifetime Pet Cover offers pet insurance policies that continue to pay out for ongoing medical conditions that occur after the start of the cover. (These are normally called lifetime policies, hence the company's name.) Dental cover is included in its policies.

As with most pet insurance for older pets, there is a mandatory contribution the policyholder has to pay for a claim, on top of the excess. Lifetime Pet Cover's excess if £95. If your pet is over the age of 7, you will also have to contribute 20% of the claim, and if your pet is over the age of 12 you will have to contribute 25% of the claim.

John lewis Finance pet insurance for old cats

John Lewis Finance only provides lifetime pet insurance policies, meaning it continues to provide cover for medical conditions each year. Because of this, its prices for older cats may be more expensive than other insurers'.

John Lewis Finance offers three levels of pet insurance: Basic, which offers up to £3,000 worth of vet fees, Plus, which offers up to £7,500 worth of vet fees, and Premier, which provides up to £12,000 in vet fees.

For pets over 9, you'll have to pay either 20% of a claim or £500 in excess, whichever is more expensive.

E&L pet insurance for senior cats

E&L, or The Equine & Livestock Insurance Company, has a specific policy for older cats. The company says its insurance policies start from £10.06 per month, and it offers a 45% discount when buying online. It also offers a 10% multi-pet discount.

The company has three time-limited policies to choose from for older cats: Silver, with vet fees up to £4,000, Gold, providing vet fees up to £5,000, and Diamond, which has vet fees up to £6,000.

Excess on these policies ranges from £65 to £169, depending on the policy chosen, what breed your cat is and where you live. Claims over £1,000 may be subjected to a double policy excess.

Bought By Many Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with number 7886430. Address: 1-10 Summers Street, London EC1R 5BD. Bought By Many Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority - Register number 652623. This register can be checked for details of our permissions, history and contact details.